In 2010, the Joint Pathology Center within the U.S. Department of Defense assumed responsibility for a biorepository with more than 7 million tissue samples and related medical information collected from individuals as far back as the Civil War. The biorepository has been used for many years to explore a host of clinical and public health questions, including the sequence of the deadly 1918 flu virus. Future Uses of the Department of Defense Joint Pathology Center Biorepository, a new report from the Institute of Medicine, offers guidance to DOD on maintaining and managing the collection and determining appropriate uses of its samples in research, education, and consultations.

Advance copies of the report will be available to reporters only beginning at 10 a.m. EDT Tuesday, Oct. 9. The report is embargoed and not for public release before 11 a.m. EDT Wednesday, Oct. 10. Reporters: To obtain an embargoed copy, contact the National Academies' Office of News and Public Information; tel. 202-334-2138 or e-mail news@nas.edu.